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Learning Disabilities, Low Achievement, and Mild Mental Retardation

More Alike Than Different?

Frank M. Gresham, PhD, is a professor and director of the school psychology program at the University of California, Riverside. His major research interests are social skills assessment of and training for children; behavioral consultation with teachers; and characteristics of children with emotional and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, and mild mental retardation.

Donald L. MacMillan

Donald L. MacMillan, EdD, is a professor of education at the University of California, Riverside. His research currently is focused on issues in classification of children with mild learning and behavioral problems, social and affective outcomes as indicative of educational treatments, and the development of self-concept.

Kathleen M. Bocian

Kathleen M. Bocian, PhD, is an educational specialist at the University of California, Riverside. She directs the research studies within the Research for Students At Risk Project. Address: Frank M. Gresham, School of Education, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521.

Children identified with learning disabilities (LD), low achievement (LA), or mild mental retardation (MMR) were contrasted on 41 measures of ability, academic achievement, social skills, problem behavior, academic engaged time, perceptual-motor skills, and school history. Both multivariate, univariate, and meta-analytic comparisons among the three groups showed relatively large differences on measures of aptitude and achievement, with the LD group scoring higher on measures of cognitive ability than the LA and MMR groups and the LA group showing higher tested academic achievement than the LD and MMR groups. Teacher ratings of academic competence showed similar levels of functioning for the LD and LA groups. No differences among the groups were found on measures of social skills, problem behaviors, or academic engaged time, or on most indices reflecting school history. Results were interpreted in light of studies contrasting LD and LA groups. Comparisons with earlier studies were difficult in light of demographic differences in samples and the lower cognitive and academic functioning of children in the present study. The current study showed that 61% of the LD group could be differentiated from the LA group, with LD—MMR and LA—MMR differentiation levels being 68.51% and 67.5%, respectively.

Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol. 29, No. 6, 570-581 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/002221949602900601


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